Pope picks 15 new cardinals to reflect diversity

Pope Francis kisses a statue of the baby Jesus as he arrives to celebrate a New Year mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in Vatican City Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Pope Francis kisses a statue of the baby Jesus as he arrives to celebrate a New Year mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in Vatican City Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

By Associated Press January 4, 2015 1 min read

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis has named 15 new cardinals, selecting the “princes of the church” from 14 nations, including far-flung corners of the world such as Tonga, New Zealand and Myanmar.

Other cardinals hail from Ethiopia, Thailand and Vietnam. Francis said Sunday the new cardinals reflect the church’s diversity and they will be formally installed on Feb. 14.